Secret Identities
by Nautica7mk
Summary: In 1692, in the Colony of Ipswich, 5 families with magical abilities formed a covenant of silence to protect themselves from persecution. Passed down from parent to child, the world of witchcraft is about to collide with the mythical legends of vampires.
1. Prologue

**Title**: Secret Identities

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rated**: T

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything Twilight/Covenant related. I own utterly nothing, which is depressing.

**Author's Notes**: Isabella "Bella" Swan did not move from Phoenix, AZ in this story. This is a crossover of sorts with the movie "The Covenant." While I enjoyed "Twilight" and the proceeding novels after it immensely, I really wanted to make Bella into something a little more mysterious. By the way, I wrote this initial chapter prior to Forever Days and I figured I might as well post it.

**The Cullen Coven**:

Carlisle Cullen

Esme Cullen

Edward Cullen *

Rosalie Cullen

Emmett Cullen

Jasper Cullen *

Alice Cullen *

**The Heirs of Ipswich**:

Caleb Danvers

Pogue Parry

Reid Garwin

Tyler Sims

Isabella Swan

* * *

_In 1692, in the Ipswich Colony of Massachusetts, five families with magical abilities, referred to as "the Power", formed a covenant of silence to protect themselves from persecution to escape the witch trials that plagued Europe and then the New World. Passed down from parent to child, the magical world of witchcraft is about to collide with the mythical legends of vampires._

**Prologue**

"You're leaving."

Isabella Swan turned to face her childhood friend; a sad smile graced her normally composed face.

"I was going to tell you after your graduation party."

Isabella, along with four close friends who were practically family: Caleb Danvers, Pogue Parry, Tyler Sims and Reid Garwin were direct descendents of the original five families that founded the Ipswich Colony in the 1600s. They were connected by an ancient secret, forged by a special ancestry that made them different from normal humans.

As the youngest of the five heirs to "the Power" and born a couple of years apart, they grew up together. With Caleb and Pogue attending Harvard and UCLA respectively this fall, Tyler and Reid will be moving on as well in the following year. In turn, Isabella would be living with her father on the Northern West Coast until she graduated.

"Where are you moving to?"

Bella sighed. "Forks, Washington."

Caleb stared at her with surprise. "You're going to live with your father?"

"With mom remarried and wanting to start over in a way, I thought it was about time I get some quality time in with Charlie."

Isabella's mother Renee, who had grown tired and weary of the secrets her ancient family has kept for so many generations that eventually ruined her first marriage, wanted to start a new life. Free from the burden of bearing a first born child with the gift and having no intention of having another one in the immediate future, it seemed as good a time as any to begin anew.

"Is that what you want?"

"It doesn't matter," Bella replied with an indifferent shrug. "With you and Pogue off to college, it'll be a matter of time until I spend senior year alone. Besides, I think I could use the new scenery."

"Right," he drawled, not believing her reasoning one bit. "Because Forks is so much more different from Massachusetts." Caleb looked at her more closely. "Are you sure this has nothing to do with what happened last week?"

Bella bit her lip, contemplating her answer. "The Families had a right to bind my powers."

"That's ridiculous," Caleb scoffed. "You had no choice, you were just protecting us. If it weren't for you, I or one of the others would've ended up using our powers in the open."

"It's really no big deal."

Caleb rolled his eyes. "You're the only one who doesn't mind."

Two weeks ago, their small town had succumbed to a serial murderer. Caleb led his own discreet investigation, knowing his gifts and his connections would help him. But it was Isabella who discovered the madman first. Acting as a bus driver, Victor Davis snapped and trapped a bus load of school children and drove them through a forest path that could've ended in the bottom of a steep cliff if she hadn't interfered and used her powers to stop the bus from meeting its doom.

While the family was sympathetic, they weren't tolerant at the fact that a few of the children inside witnessed her stopping the vehicle from the rear of the bus, her eyes black as night and her unfathomable strength holding the vehicle at bay.

Thankfully, no one believed the children once the authorities arrived and arrested Davis on the scene, but it still left a mark and now the only way she could avoid further detection was to leave. In the end, the Families banded together to bind her powers (not an easy feat) knowing that if there were any further inquiries if her identity was compromised, there was nothing to find but a normal kid who was misidentified as the children's anonymous savior.

"I'm going to miss you," Caleb said.

"Me too," she replied with a soft smile. "I'm gonna go and let the others know. I won't be leaving until the end of summer." She tilted her head to the side. "Wish me luck?"

Caleb shook his head. "You hardly need it."

She laughed lightly. "Thanks.**"**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_Three Months Later_

In the state of Washington, under near a constant cover of cloud and rain, there's a town named Forks, population 3,120 people. This was where she was moving.

Her dad's name is Charlie Swan; he was the Chief of Police.

She used to spend two weeks in this town every summer, but it's been years. Time, distance and the sacred secret her mother had kept from her father separated them to a point that they hardly knew each other.

His home was modest, infinitely smaller than the ostentatious mansion she grew up with in Massachusetts, but that didn't bother her so much as the fact that starting new in a different setting without her friends (brother's more like) made the gravity of the move much heavier than she expected.

It wasn't long until she started school the next day in a beat up red truck that she found herself liking more than she expected. Charlie had bought it from his best friend, Billy Black who lived on the Reservation. Even though she had driven fancier cars that she never really liked to drive, she was still grateful for the gesture. The old hulk of a machine suited perfectly. It certainly looked like it could protect her well enough if she suddenly skidded off the road or some idiot rammed into her.

School was another matter altogether.

Isabella, or Bella, which she preferred nowadays, had seemingly lost her casual laid back attitude and she attributed it to the fact that she didn't have Caleb or the others to help her engage other people as easily as they did. A part of her had hoped that without the burden of her powers, the transition would have been easier but apparently, it wasn't meant to be.

_Suffer in silence_, she thought dismally.

Then there were the students she met so far in school. Jessica Stanley would have been a nice enough girl to form a friendship with if she didn't have anything but air in her brains. Eric York, the resident geek, was a little too quirky for Bella's taste. Tyler was a little too outgoing. And don't get her started with Lauren Mallory, the supposed resident popular chick that the girls wanted to be but secretly hated.

There were only really two people she could imagine herself hanging out with possibly. Mike Newton, the stereotypical popular jock who didn't mind being made a fool (or acting like one) but his eagerness to befriend her had an alarm attached to it warning Bella that if she wasn't careful, he was likely to turn into a puppy that would follow her around in hopes to snatch a date or two.

That leaves Angela. A thoroughly nice girl that looked and sounded genuine when she approached her. And she had a brain, which was a plus in Bella's book.

By the time she reached lunched, Bella noticed a table in the far end of the cafeteria that was occupied by a group of what she could only describe as beautiful. All were pale and incredibly gorgeous. They were five of them. Quiet yet attentive to each other except for the one guy that sat alone in one area of the table.

"Who are they?"

Angela looked at the direction of Bella's gaze and smiled. "They're the Cullen's. They moved here from somewhere in Alaska a couple of years ago."

Bella raised her eyebrows as if the name should ring a bell. The unspoken suspense ended when Jessica explained the rest.

"They're Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's foster children. The blonde haired girl, her name is Rosalie and the dark haired guy next to her is Emmett. They're together by the way, and I don't even think it's even legal."

Bella looked back at them briefly. "Hmm."

"They're not _really_ related, Jessica," Angela kindly reminded her.

"Yeah, but it's weird," Jessica replied, the thought scandalizing. "And the ones on the left is Alice, she's a bit weird and the blonde one is Jasper who always looks like he's in pain. They're together too. Dr. Cullen is like a foster dad slash matchmaker."

Bella dismissed Jessica's tactless descriptions of the Cullen's and went about asking who the last person was. "What about the last guy?"

Jessica turned dreamy eyed. "Oh, that's Edward Cullen. He's totally gorgeous, but don't bother with him. He doesn't date, at least not in this school. Apparently no one here is good looking enough for him."

Bella smiled, thinking it was a relief that she wasn't the only one who felt out-of-place here.

"They tend to keep to themselves," Angela added as an afterthought.

Bella looked back at the table and caught the boy, Edward, staring at her intently. She stared back stubbornly. His eyes seemed to bore right into her but after a few seconds, he looked away seemingly frustrated at something she couldn't decipher. A strange feeling of foreboding came into her consciousness and she too, looked away.

Then fate intervened and landed Bella in the one class that had her seating arrangement right next to the intensely handsome bronze-haired boy with the penetrating gaze.

As soon as she retrieved her slip from Mr. Banner, her biology teacher, she felt the strong breeze of the heating fan flow past her. It was at that moment that Edward Cullen suddenly looked like he was sick and an irrational part of Bella thought it was the sudden sight of her that produced it.

Slowly, she made her way to her seat trying her best to avoid eye contact. Reluctantly, she lifted a small part of her shirt to her nose wondering perhaps if she smelled that awful to him. Nope, it was cleanly laundered.

So what the hell was Cullen's problem?

Bella ignored him the best she could for the rest of the hour, knowing just out of sixth sense that he was staring at her throughout the period while their teacher droned on about the behavior of flatworms. It seemed her new teacher had no qualms about jumping straight into the deep end of academia regardless of the fact that it was only the first day of school. A subject she belatedly realized she already covered last year.

Before the class was even over, Edward shot out of his seat and exited the classroom just as the bell rang.

Normally, Bella wouldn't care but his reaction to her presence went past borderline rude and she was more than willing to step out of her self-imposed bubble of silence to demand what his issue was, but that idea came to a screeching halt when she entered the administrations office only to run across the same classmate who was now staunchly trying to change classes.

By all intents and purposes, Bella was a nobody in this town. No heiress to an old colonial family with a magical heritage. She had no aspirations of becoming part of the in-crowd in spite of the fact that the people who were forcing their attentions on her were inadvertently making her the topic of every discussion throughout the school.

She just wanted to be left alone and finish the next couple of years without incident.

Edward Cullen was making that goal surprisingly hard and that touched a nerve she didn't want to call attention to.

To infuriate her more, the guy didn't even bother to show up to class the rest of the week, and she wondered how a student could get away with that at the beginning of the school year.

By the second week, Bella almost felt normal until she spotted Edward Cullen back at his seat next to hers in Biology. Rather than confronting him, she would follow his example and just ignore him altogether.

That was until he introduced himself.

"Hello," said a quite musical voice with a hint of hesitation. "My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan."

Bella's head turned to his attention and she felt almost blindsided by his golden eyes and striking features. Her mind was quick to fill with confusion. "How did you know my name?"

The slow smile that appeared on his face threatened her to distraction. "Oh, I believe everyone knows your name. The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive."

Bella inwardly groaned and wondered why she didn't just show up at her father's door unannounced and saved her self the headache.

"No," she spoke quickly. "Why did you call me Bella?"

He blinked looking confused. "Umm… do you prefer Isabella?"

"No, Bella's fine. But I think Charlie – I mean my dad – must call me Isabella behind my back – that's what everyone here seems to know me as." She didn't normally stutter like an idiot, especially when she was raised and educated in one of the top private schools in the country.

"Oh."

This is strange, Bella thought. One minute he couldn't get away from her fast enough and the next, he's as polite and congenial as ever. Maybe he had a mental disorder he's trying to hide.

It was then that Mr. Banner handed out a worksheet that came with a bunch of slides we were suppose to identify without a textbook. It was a subject the class touched on just last Friday. Having a fairly good knowledge on the subject already and the fact that she had a tendency to read all her text books in the beginning of the year, it was almost too easy to get through. That was the case until she realized she was literally being partnered up with Edward.

"Get started," the teacher commanded.

"Ladies first, partner?" Edward asked and she obliged simply out of due politeness.

Bella looked into the microscope quickly and promptly answered, "Prophase."

"Do you mind if I checked?" he inquired.

She shrugged, not caring one way or the other. Edward quickly looked and appeared only slightly stunned that she was correct. Did he think she was stupid? Well, _that_ assumption wasn't going to last.

Then it was his turn. Edward barely looked into the small lens before he proclaimed that it was "Anaphase."

"Mind if I looked?" Bella asked for the sake of amusement.

Edward smirked. "By all means."

Bella checked and was unsurprised that he was correct. For all his outwardly physical attractiveness and voice sophistication, he had an innate air of intelligence not easily found on an average high school student. "Anaphase," she repeated.

"You're turn."

Bella took the microscope and peered in. "Interphase." She shoved it back to his side of the table daring him to contradict her.

"I believe you," he said smoothly.

They finished quicker than the rest of the class, leaving a whole chunk of time to waste until the bell rang when Mr. Banner looked over their answers. He looked at Edward disapprovingly. "So, Edward. Didn't you think that Isabella should have a chance with the microscope?"

"Bella," Edward corrected automatically. "Actually, she answered three of the five."

Mr. Banner looked at Bella, his expression intrigued and a little bit skeptical. "Really? Have you done this lab before?"

"Not with onion root," she answered.

"Whitefish blastula?" he guessed.

"Yeah."

"Were you in an Advanced Placement program in your old school last year?"

Grudgingly, Bella nodded.

"Hmm." Mr. Banner looked thoughtful. "Didn't expect that coming from a starting junior. Well, it's a good thing you're partnered with Edward here. It gives me time to teach the rest of the class without worrying too much about you two."

From the corner of her eye, Bella noticed that Mr. Banner wasn't the only one intrigued by the newfound knowledge of her academic history.

At that point on, Edward seemed intent in knowing her. Asking questions about why she decided to move to the rainiest and dreariest state in the Continental U.S. She kept her answers clipped and to the point until it was almost futile to do so, so she answered as best she could without going into too much detail. Her lab partner went far and beyond the norm when it came to basic conversation. Almost like he was trying to get into her head.

"Do you wear contacts?" Bella asked suddenly.

Edward looked positively surprised by the question. "Pardon?"

"Your eyes, I'm pretty sure they were black the last time I saw you in class. Now they're golden brown."

The bell saved Edward and before she knew it, he was gone again. Mike inquired what our interaction was all about and in all honestly, she couldn't give an answer because his mood swings were so erratic, it'll likely give her whiplash before this semester was over.

* * *

The next couple of months came and went with relative normalcy. Edward went back to keeping his distance, attempting to sit away from her as far as the humanly possible in the limited space they were given and she in turn ignored him unless class assignments necessitated verbal communication.

Snow, ice, rain and a combination of all three began making its descent onto Forks with alarming frequency as the winter season was making itself abundantly known. Over six months without having to use her powers (not that she used them often in the first place) began to feel like a footnote belonging to the past. Almost as if it never existed inside her even though she could still feel the power course through her veins.

It was a particularly icy day outside when Bella exited the school campus and made her way to her truck. Out of habit, she looked over her shoulder and found Edward staring at her yet again and it struck her as odd. For someone who went out of his way to stay out of _her_ way, he spent way too much time observing her.

She sighed, looking forward to getting the hell out of school. Another end of the day and she relished the freedom from the monotony and weirdness of her daily school routine.

That's when her senses warned her of impending danger. She spun around and caught the sight of the Tyler's dark blue van that was skidding, tires locked and squealing against the breaks, spinning widely across the large patch of ice on the parking lot. Worse, it was headed straight toward her.

Bella's body tensed up and her instincts naturally geared to protect herself before she realized that her powers were binded and she was literally left helpless from the oncoming vehicle.

Unable to move fast enough, she braced for impact when she felt the onslaught of another push her body down. With eyes suddenly unfocused, she saw an outstretched arm stop the van just a couple of feet shy from where it would have crushed her. Bella's eyes widened as she looked at the face of her savior, Edward Cullen. One arm secured around her waist and the other leaving a remarkably large dent against the passenger side door.

Before she could even process what was happening, Bella was surrounded by dozens of students. Some asking her if she was okay. Others calling for 911. The rest just wanting to get a glimpse. While that was happening, Edward discreetly disappeared from view; leaving Bella with questions she was annoyed that she wanted answers to.

**To be continued…**

**So what do you think? Too outlandish? I'm thinking to stick with the narrative form as opposed to the normal 1****st**** person POV that this fandom is used to. You've probably noticed that I condensed certain conversations, and I purposely did that to avoid too much repetitiveness. **


	2. Chapter 1

**Title**: Secret Identities

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rated**: T

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything Twilight/Covenant related. I own utterly nothing, which is depressing.

**Author's Notes**: I wanted to thank _Music_ for pointing out a mistake in the opening chapter. It should be fixed now. _Shadeslayer390_, thanks for the comment. I'll be working my way up to their inevitable meeting, until then; don't be surprised if you see one of them pop up in the next few chapters. The Sons of Ipswich won't actually appear together until I work New Moon into the story. _Northernlights_, Bella won't be getting her powers back until she ascends, which should be interesting if my thoughts-to-page transitioned anywhere close to what I have in mind. lol

* * *

_**Previously…**_

_Bella spun around and caught the sight of the Tyler's dark blue van that was skidding, tires locked and squealing against the breaks, spinning widely across the large patch of ice on the parking lot. Worse, it was headed straight toward her. _

_Bella's body tensed up and her instincts naturally geared to protect herself before she realized that her powers were binded and she was literally left helpless from the oncoming vehicle._

_Unable to move fast enough, she braced for impact when she felt the onslaught of another push her body down. With eyes suddenly unfocused, she saw an outstretched arm stop the van just a couple of feet shy from where it would have crushed her. Bella's eyes widened as she looked at the face of her savior, Edward Cullen. One arm secured around her waist and the other leaving a remarkably large dent against the passenger side door._

_Before she could even process what was happening, Bella was surrounded by dozens of students. Some asking her if she was okay. Others calling for 911. The rest just wanting to get a glimpse. While that was happening, Edward discreetly disappeared from view; leaving Bella with questions she was annoyed that she wanted answers to._

**Chapter 1  
**

The next couple of hours passed by in a whirlwind of events. Other than Tyler's mild head wound and her bruised arm, no one was severely hurt. She vaguely even remembered the ambulance hurling her away from the school lot and to the local hospital where Charlie was standing beside her, glaring at Tyler.

He had been frantic with worry at first, but after he saw that his daughter was all right, Charlie put the full weight of his Chief of Police authority on poor Tyler, going as far as threatening to take away his driver's license.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Charlie queried to his child once again.

"I said I was fine," Bella replied for the umpteenth time.

"This is not fine." Charlie gestured at her bruised arm as if the simple black and blue mark was indicative of something even more fatal. "You could've died."

"But I didn't."

At that moment, the double doors opened. "I heard the Chief's daughter was here," Dr. Cullen said walking towards them.

"I'm really sorry, Bella," Tyler apologized once again but Charlie put a stop to it by pulling the curtains covering him completely from her view as soon as Dr. Cullen made his way to their side.

The first and most immediate thing Bella noticed was the paleness of Dr. Cullen's skin. It matched the rest of his foster children to a tee. In addition to that, what was most interesting also was the color of his eyes, it matched Edward's exactly yet the general consensus was that Dr. Carlisle was by no means related at all to the kids he adopted.

It was peculiar but not out of the realm of coincidence. Perhaps they were all distantly related? The observation would not have been in the forefront of Bella's mind had she not witnessed first hand Edward's remarkable abilities of speed and strength.

As a human born with magic, there was little in the world that could possibly surprise her, but the Cullen's, especially Edward certainly did, much to her chagrin.

Dr. Carlisle checked her over. His movement's gentle and his voice soft and welcoming. His very presence invited warmth, even when she pressed the fact that if it wasn't for Edward shoving her away from the van, she would have ended up in the morgue instead of the exam room.

"You're very lucky," Dr. Carlisle said simply before heading off to work on her discharge papers. She got the distinct impression that he was aware that she knew.

Interesting

At the end of the afternoon, Bella finally ran into Edward on the way outside just as she finished calming her mother down after her father made the gigantic mistake of informing her of their daughter's non-fatal accident. It took a good twenty minutes to soothe her mother's fears before Renee even felt comfortable enough hanging up the phone.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked when she spotted Edward hanging around by the side of the building.

* * *

Edward approached her slowly, tentatively. "What?"

Without preamble, she went straight to the point, which wasn't completely unexpected even though he couldn't read her mind at all. "How did you get to me so fast?"

Edward made an attempt at ignorance. "I was right next to you Bella."

"No." Bella was not easily swayed. "You were across the lot."

"You hit your head. I think you're confused," Edward pressed but it was clear Bella didn't believe him, and it was asking too much for him to even try to convince her otherwise. He felt exposed, and this feeling of vulnerability around a mere human has left him utterly weak since the first time he caught her scent.

"I know what I saw," she continued point-blank.

His jaw clenched. "And what did you see?"

"You stopped the van." Bella recounted with obvious clarity. "You pushed it away with your hand."

Edward inhaled deeply, wanting the interrogation to end before he says something he shouldn't. "No one's going to believe you," he settled for saying.

"I wasn't going to tell anyone."

Edward blinked, continuously surprised by the way this girl's mind works. It was normal for a human to talk, to share secrets and mysteries, yet this mortal human defied conformity. When she said she wasn't going to tell anyone, he was overwhelmed by the sheer instinct to believe her. Her eyes didn't lie. Observant and far more perceptive than anyone he has ever met that was not one of his kind, it had left him uncertain how to react in her presence.

He settled to avoid her as much as possible these past months yet the allure to be around Bella was too seductive. Watching her had become a habit he could not break. He even succumbed to violating her very privacy by sneaking into her room the last few months after so many weeks of agonizing torture via listening in on her conversations with her human friends.

It was ridiculous and totally out of his understanding why he would do so considering that any further attachment he formed with her, intentional or otherwise, risks his and his family's very existence as well as hers.

He'd literally become a stalkerish vampire and an actual teen pathetically obsessed over a human girl.

"I just need to know," she added.

"Well I hope you enjoy disappointment." He left it there before he ended up further engrossing himself in her spell and headed straight away to the one person who could sympathize.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"What was I supposed to do Rosalie, let her die?" Edward shot back defiantly. After his brief confrontation with Bella, after he made his way straight to Carlisle's office, instead of the father figure he desperately wanted to speak to, he ended up with Rosalie. A far crueler fate if her thoughts were anything to go by.

"This isn't just about you," she reminded him viciously. "This affects the rest of us."

"She's not going to tell anyone," he said with certainty.

"Oh, and you know this how?" she replied skeptically. "Can you suddenly read her mind?"

Edward gritted his teeth. "No."

"Then how do you know she isn't lying?"

"She wasn't," he answered back determinedly. His need to protect Bella overriding all other senses that it had gone way pass irrational. He only knew that saving her was a necessity.

A need.

A want he couldn't easily explain into words.

"You've exposed us all!"

"Calm down, Rosalie," Carlisle's soothing voice suddenly enveloped the room and Edward was finally able to relax a bit. He knew the longer he and Rosalie argued, the more volatile it was going to get. "We'll deal with this as a family but for now, there's nothing else we could do. Charlie is taking his daughter home. We'll know more about what actions to take in the next few days."

Rosalie continued to glare at him angrily. "You better be right about this, Edward."

He glared equally at her retreating form.

_How are you feeling son?_

Edward's attention snapped up at his father's open thoughts.

"I don't know what's happening to me. Ever since I came back after that first week…" he faltered in search of the words to say. "She… she shouldn't be this important to me, Carlisle." He dared not mention his nightly visits to her room and the sudden revelation that he may, in fact, be falling for her. "We've only ever had one conversation, and that almost didn't count."

"Alice foresaw—"

"I know what Alice saw," he cut in aggressively. "And that won't happen to her either. There's got to be another way."

Carlisle crossed the office and leaned against the edge of his desk facing him. "You've managed to hold your own with her nearby." He finished He finished the rest through his thoughts. _"And I'm incredibly proud you've overcome that side of you that wanted to take her."_

"I still don't know if I'm strong enough," he revealed painfully.

"If that was the case, you never would have saved her today."

"I don't want her to die." It was the only truth that made sense to him at this moment.

"That leaves you at a precarious position, son."

Edward sighed. "I know."

* * *

Edward was ignoring her again, that much Bella knew for sure. Any interaction between them was either class related or him continuing to remind her that 'it's better that we aren't friends.' At this point, she stopped trying to figure out how he saved her life. It would be hypocritical of her to start messing with what she knew was a well kept secret when she carried some of her own.

Christmas and New Year's came and went without anymore incidents apart from the occasional trip and fall.

When did she become suddenly clumsy?

Bella and her father got along remarkably well. Charlie was a quiet man who preferred to keep to himself. To top it all off, he never hovered. But he was a bad cook; she discovered this the first day she moved to Forks. It was no big transition when she took over kitchen duties. She didn't mind at all. It was rather satisfying to watch his eyes glaze happily at every new or different dish she put before him and it helped to take her mind off things.

It was March now, the sun made a surprise appearance when the clouds decided not to interfere when she was invited to head down to La Push Beach. She'd heard of the place from Jacob Black, a childhood friend she vaguely remembered making mud pies with when they were children.

Jacob was a nice kid; he was a year younger than she was, thoughtful and kind who always seemed to have a smile on his face. He treated her father with respect, which earned him additional brownie points on top of his carefree personality.

They ran into each other at the beach with all the other kids from school. At some point, walking along the shoreline, he told her stories of werewolves. It didn't interest her at first, having learned about the creatures through the Book of Damnation. It was the story about the 'Pale faces' that piqued her interest.

Later that same week, she hung out with Jessica and Angela in Port Angeles to help them search for the perfect prom dress. Unfortunately, she wasn't much help in that department. She had nearly zero interest in fashion, preferring comfort and vintage clothing over designer or anything remotely sexy. Annoyingly, that didn't stop guys from propositioning her.

Bella left the two girls to debate over which dress they were going to purchase while she drifted her way to the local bookstore. She loved to read and needed something new to fill her time when she wasn't doing homework or cooking for Charlie. There were just so many times she could reread Wuthering Heights or Romeo & Juliet.

Upon leaving, she noticed she was being followed.

_Great_, she thought annoyingly.

They whistled and taunted, following her to an empty parking lot. The pros and cons of being without her powers made itself abundantly known the second time this year and she couldn't help but curse her vulnerability against such bad luck.

Caleb was wrong; he really should have wished her luck.

"Come on, baby. Let's have some fun," one drunken fool said.

Bella ignored him and internally debated her best possible options. Taking four guys down is out of the question. Outrunning them might not be any better even in their intoxicated state. She was fast, but she was hardly an athlete.

One man suddenly grabbed her arm, and Bella reflexively kneed him in the stomach.

"You shouldn't have done that," one guy sneered.

The next thing she knew, a silver Volvo appeared from the street almost running over her would be molesters. Edward stepped out of the vehicle. "Get in the car," he commanded.

Bella immediately obeyed, thinking her chances with Cullen was a heck of a lot better than the other options.

Through the windshield, she could see Edward approach the group of men who looked like they were about to shrivel away in total fear. A part of her new Edward could be dangerous because of his strength and speed, but up until now, she's never seen it in action.

A moment later, he was in the driver's seat driving us away with a speed and maneuverability of a racecar driver high on rocket fuel. He was driving so fast, she was getting a bit dizzy.

"Would you slow down?"

Edward's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I should go back there and rip their heads off."

Bella eye's widened. She shook her head. "No, you shouldn't."

"You don't know the _vile repulsive _things they're thinking."

"And you do?"

"It's not hard to guess," he said forcefully. "Could you talk about something else? Distract me so I don't turn around," he pleaded.

She spoke the first words that came to mind. "Put your seat belt on."

Edward laughed humorlessly. "Why don't you put your seat belt on?"

It wasn't until they parked in front of the restaurant that Edward finally looked relatively calm and non-homicidal. She stepped out of his car just realizing that he was already there holding the door out for her. She passed him in silence while he trailed slowly behind.

Bella caught up with Jessica and Angela just as they were leaving. Since they didn't know how long she was going to be late, they ate ahead but as soon as Edward appeared things got a little awkward.

Edward offered to stay with her to get something to eat, going as far as making sure she gets home safely, and to quell her own curiosity, she agreed. She ignored the shocked and awed looks from her friends and proceeded into the establishment without any more backward glances.

Inside the restaurant, their waitress made no qualms about showing her preference but Edward seemed oblivious. Once she got her order and disappeared, Bella couldn't help but address the reactions people have toward him.

"You really shouldn't do that?"

"Do what?"

"Don't tell me you have no idea the affect you have on people, especially girls. Our waitress is probably in the back room right now hyperventilating."

Edward tilted his head to the side and smiled.

"See, that's exactly what I'm talking about," she pointed out. That smile of his could stop traffic easily.

He blinked, looking extremely confused. "What did I do?"

"You just… have a way of dazzling people."

"I dazzle people?"

"Yes"

He leaned a little forward. "Do I dazzle you?"

She took a sip of her soda and gulped. "Frequently," she muttered under her breath, a slight blush on her face. "Anyway, let's not go off on a tangent here. You gotta give me some answers now." Bella was done giving his space when it was he who was intent on becoming her Knight in shining armor every chance he got.

"Hmm," he said thoughtfully. "Yes. No. To get to the other side. 1.772455—"

Bella cut him off impatiently. "I don't want to know what the square root of pi is."

Edward looked surprised. "You knew that?"

Bella nodded. "Okay." She got up to leave but Edward suddenly looked fearful.

"Please," he said. "Don't go."

Leave it to Edward Cullen to dissuade her from her original plan. "Were you following me?"

"I… I feel very protective of you."

A simple yes or no would've sufficed but it was oddly flattering nonetheless. "So you were following me."

His next words suddenly poured out. "I stayed as far as possible just in case you needed my help… but then I heard what they were thinking and I just—"

"Wait a second," she interjected. "You heard them? Like in their minds?

Edward took a deep breath before answering. "I could read every mind in this room, apart from yours." He looked over me to the unsuspecting strangers around us. "Money. Sex. Money." Then his gaze focused on the bartender and his stare turned amused. "Cat." He faced her and let the full power of his penetrating eyes immobilize her senses. "But you… nothing. It's very frustrating."

This knowledge came as no big shock to her system. Her friends back home and the Covenant have expressed how completely impenetrable her mind was. She didn't understand it, no body else had that kind of problem and a few have made the observation that it was probably due to her having a very private mind, whatever that meant.

She acted surprised regardless. "Is something wrong with me?"

He chuckled almost in disbelief. "I just told you that I can read minds and you're wondering if there was something wrong with you." He breathed in deeply and she couldn't help but note his discomfort out loud.

"Are you okay?"

Edward looked at her then, pain etched on his features. "I… don't… have the strength to stay away from you anymore."

Her answer seemed simple. "Then don't."

**To be continued…**


	3. Chapter 2

**Title**: Secret Identities

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rated**: T

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything Twilight/Covenant related. I own utterly nothing, which is depressing.

**Author's Notes**: This chapter focuses on the progression of Bella and Edward's relationship. I've taken a lot of dialogue and a few passages from both the film and the book as well as put my own spin with additional dialogue and thought processes. While Edward has already fallen in love with Bella, this and next chapter is Bella fully realizing that she's falling in love with him too.

* * *

_**Previously…**_

"_I… don't… have the strength to stay away from you anymore."_

_Her answer seemed simple. "Then don't."_

**Chapter 2**

Edward drove Bella home in silence and while Bella was by no means in a hurry to get home, she would like nothing more than for the owner of the car to drive a little slower, or at least nowhere far above 70 mph with Washington's constantly changing weather patterns. Speed wasn't so much a problem if she was still capable of using her powers and since she wasn't invulnerable as her companion seemed to be, she felt more than a little nervous.

"Is there something wrong?" Edward asked.

"Uh, could you lighten on the gas pedal a little?"

Edward crinkled his nose with obvious distaste and Bella held her arms out in mock surrender. "My dad's the Chief of Police, I was raised to obey traffic laws." She made a mental note not to tell him of some questionable incidents that occurred back East unless absolutely necessary. It was a story for another time, she was interested in his.

"Better?"

The Volvo decreased in speed just below 70. Bella figured that was the best he could do.

Bella nodded reluctantly before feeling the heat in the car rise dramatically due to their enclosed space. "Okay, I'm pretty warm now." She reached to turn the heater off but he beat her to it, grazing her fingers just as she pulled back. In addition to the unsuspecting electrical bolt that passed between them, his fingers were ice cold.

She glanced at him in surprise.

Edward looked away distressed while a number of facts surfaced in Bella's thoughts. One by one, parts of the Cullen puzzle began piecing itself together forming a cohesive picture that she would never had fathomed if it wasn't for the obvious truth sitting next to her.

Bella was about to address these very facts to him when he slowed down as the sight of police lights blinked furiously against the night.

"That's my dad's cruiser." Bella pointed out. "He's still here."

"My father's car is on the other side," Edward added, his father's black Mercedes parked a couple of spaces away. "What's he doing here?" He turned the wheel and drove into the lot and parked in front of the station. They stepped out of the vehicle just as Dr. Cullen exited the building.

"Carlisle, what's going on?" Edward asked.

"Frank Weyland's body was found at the docks. I just finished examining the body."

Bella's eyes widened, recognizing the name. "Weyland's dead?"

Dr. Cullen nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry Bella."

"What happened?"

"Animal attack."

"Like the man at the Mills." Charlie had told her about that incident a few days ago but she thought it was an isolated incident. Bella tried to calm down disliking the helplessness she felt. "It's getting closer to town."

"Bella, you should go inside and see your father. Weyland was a close friend."

Bella nodded. "Of course." She turned to Edward, concern on her face. "I'll see you later?"

Edward could not summon a smile but nodded. He knew these weren't normal animal attacks but he didn't want to frighten her. As soon as she disappeared in the relative safety of the police station, he turned to his father with his own concerns.

"Has Alice seen anything more about our unwanted guests?"

Carlisle shook his head. "She thinks they'll be leaving the vicinity soon, but if this happens again, we're going to have to approach them ourselves."

Edward agreed to the plan knowing that these nomadic vampires presence can also threaten Bella if they got anywhere near her scent. He couldn't hear their thoughts because they were too far for him to pinpoint, but he didn't want to take any chances.

"I'll be there with you if it comes to that."

"I know, son." Carlisle laid a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder. "Let's go home."

Inside the station, Bella comforted her own father the best she could, even going as far as grudgingly taking the mace spray he urged her to have to alleviate his own obvious fears for her safety. They may not be as close as she was to Renee, but there was an unspoken affection and love between them that did not need to be openly expressed. They were alike in more ways than she originally thought.

That night, dreams of Edward became more prominent in her subconscious. She couldn't recall having such vivid dreams about someone so much in the past, yet last night had been a turning point in their strange relationship. She didn't know what today would bring but she knew that after researching what she had discovered last night that there was just some things that needed to be answered, and it could only come from him.

When she reached the courtyard outside the school, she saw Edward waiting for her and it was obvious that he knew what she wanted. Walking briskly passed him; Edward followed her into the woods that surrounded the school.

As soon as they were far enough away, she unceremoniously dropped her bag and gathered her thoughts. Ignoring the cold, she faced away from him and began… "You're impossibly fast… and strong. You're skin is pale white and ice cold. Your eyes change color. And sometimes you speak, like… like you're from a different time. You never eat or drink anything, you don't go out into the sunlight." She paused. "How old are you?"

He stood close behind her. "Seventeen," he replied huskily.

"How long have you been seventeen?"

"A while"

Her breathing grew quick. "I know what you are."

"Say it." Desperation filled his voice. "Out loud. _Say it_."

"Vampire."

"Are you afraid?"

Bella turned and answered him with utter certainty. "No."

"Then ask me the most basic question. What do we eat?"

"You won't hurt me."

Edward took her hand and dragged her further into the woods. This time there was no more hiding. He wanted her to know exactly what he was so she could stay away from him. He knew without a doubt that he he could not do it himself.

"Where are we going?"

"Up the mountain," he said, keeping their fingers locked together. His pace quickened and she struggled to keep up. "Out of the cloud bank. You need to see me in the sunlight." With lighting fast reflexes, Edward had her clinging on his back as he ran up the mountain so quickly, Bella held onto him as tight as she possibly could barely processing what was happening.

The trees breezed past them in a whirl of colored greens and browns until they reached their destination. Once there, he let her go and she fought to catch her breath. "This is why we don't show ourselves in the sunlight." He moved to stand on a small stone slab where the sun hit. He unbuttoned his shirt to show her exactly why she should fear him. "People would know we were different." He turned to her finally, revealing what he is. "This is what I am."

Numerous things crossed Bella's thoughts but none of them was the monster Edward described himself to be. The light refracted from his skin was nothing like she's ever seen before. "It's like diamonds," she said in awe. Her unorthodox upbringing and special heritage did not prepare her for this. "You're beautiful."

"Beautiful?" Edward scoffed at the description, hating himself for what he was. "This is the skin of a killer, Bella."

Bella held back the impulse to prove him wrong. There are far worse things out there than him and though she may be ignorant of his kind, she wasn't naive. "Human's aren't as fragile as you think we are."

Edward chuckled but he was anything but amused. "I'm a killer," he repeated with further disgust.

Bella blinked and saw the conflict in his eyes. "I don't believe that."

"That's because you believe the lie. Camouflage." Edward tried desperately to make her understand. This could be his only chance to let her go and live her life, free from the dangers his kind could reap upon her. It just had to be her choice because he was too weak to let her go himself. "I'm the world's most dangerous predator. Everything about me invites you in." His voice turned hard. "My voice. My face. Even my smell." He reached out to touch her but didn't. "As if I would've need any of that." He disappeared and reappeared from a distance within a blink of an eye. "_As if you could outrun me_!" he yelled.

Edward jumped off the edge and reappeared just as quickly right in front of her. "As if you could fight me off." He took a deep-rooted tree, uprooted it and threw it angrily across from her where it hit a thick oak and cracked in half. "I'm designed to kill."

Self-preservation was a natural human reaction, but she couldn't stay away. The physiological draw she had with him was agonizingly too tangible to easily withdraw from. A large part of her knew very well that he was a killer, but another more emotional and instinctual part of her knew he wouldn't harm her. "I should care but I don't."

"I've killed people before."

Due to Bella's own compassionate nature, his words hit its mark but it was short-lived in the face of this particular adversity. "You can't change what you've done in the past." Bella's understanding of him only strengthened her growing attachment to this dangerously supernatural creature with the face of an angel. As she attempted to close the distance between them, Edward stepped away. "What matters to me is in the here and now, and I know you would never hurt me."

"I wanted to kill you." Edward revealed suddenly but Bella forced herself not to react. "I never wanted a human's blood so much in my life."

The distance he put between them for all those months finally made sense to her. "I trust you."

"Don't."

"I'm here. I trust you." She leaned forward but he fearfully moved away, disappearing once again before ending up crouched on a tree branch a couple of yards behind her.

"My family, we're different from others of our kind," he explained, his features tight with tension. "We only hunt animals. We learned how to control our thirst. But it's you…" He hovered a few inches from her face as one hand held onto the tree. "Your scent; it's like a drug to me." He swallowed hard. "You're like my own personal brand of heroin."

She moved to the other side of the tree as he maneuvered to face her. But he was still afraid to touch her. She looked up at him with sudden clarity. "Is that why you hated me so much when we met?"

"I did, only because you made me want you so badly. I still don't know if I could control myself."

All this time Bella had thought he was just your average teenage angst in play with a flair for the dramatics but it turned out to be so much more than she expected.

"I know you can."

"You don't know that."

"All right." Against better judgment, Bella tilted her neck to the side and showed her bare neck to his view. Had she been a different type of person, this would have been as close to suicide as one can get, but she truly felt that Edward wouldn't hurt her. "Go ahead. Hurt me."

The pain on his face made Bella regret her rash decision but she remained steadfast. If they couldn't get pass this point, there was no reason to go forward. She had done the only thing that she was raised never to do, and that was to give her life into someone else's hands.

She was falling fast, like free fall.

"Bella." Edward's voice was pained and she longed to make it go away. He looked at her meaningfully, the intensity between them magnifying tenfold. The pull was unbearably magnetic, unexplainable and completely irrational when one stopped to really think about it.

He jumped off the tree and walked backwards, getting further away from her but she followed him anyway and it brought them into a tight rocky crevice hidden further into the woods. "I can't read your mind." He turned to her, begging. He laid both his hands against the flat boulder, enclosing her. "Tell me what you're thinking."

"Now I'm afraid."

He let one arm dangle on his side, giving her the opening she needed to be free of him. "Good." Edward turned away from her then, ashamed. "You should be."

"No, that's not what I meant," she said, pulling his body back to face her. "I'm not afraid of you, I'm only afraid of losing you, I feel like you're going to disappear."

Edward looked at her in a way no man had ever done before, and she was scared to put it into words.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for you."

Their breathing was heavy even though he had no need for air. Then Slowly, carefully, he placed his hand gently over her heart and let the rhythm soothe him. "And so the lion fell in love with the lamb."

"What a stupid lamb," she whispered softly.

A slow grin and then a smile made its way to his lips. "What a sick masochistic lion."

His amazing eyes seemed to glow with rash excitement. Then, as the seconds passed, they dimmed. His expression folded into a mask of ancient sadness. He took her hand; the coldness of it barely fazed her as he led her out of the rock crevice and into a clearing.

A beautiful meadow untouched by civilization.

Bella watched him closely. "You're afraid."

"I am," he said hoarsely. "I'm afraid… because, for, well, obvious reasons, I can't _stay_ with you. And I'm afraid that I'd like to stay with you, much more than I should."

"I don't want you to leave."

Edward smiled weakly. "It's better that I do. But don't worry. I'm essentially a selfish creature. I crave your company too much to do what I should."

Bella breathed out a sigh of relief. At some point, she too had her own secrets to share, but she couldn't do it now. The unexplainable but fragile bond between them was too new and she was drawn to him too much to shake it. Ironically, she too have become selfish without really knowing until it happened.

The Families would be pissed for sure but they'll get over it. For all their rules, they would never harm one of their own, and if this bond she had with Edward became something more, she had to be absolutely sure that he wouldn't be caught in the crossfire. Other than the consequences that occurs should any gifted member abuse their abilities, The Covenant did not really have any natural enemies besides mankind's fear over things they didn't understand.

Edward continued to lead her slowly into the meadow where the trees were light and the sun was slowly appearing through the cloudy skies. She laid down as he did the same, letting the tension that filled the silence turn to comfort. Time seemed to stand still as they stayed that way for a while and Bella couldn't help but bask at the sight of Edward when the sun hit his face, illuminating his pale skin and turning it into diamonds made of flesh.

A vampire.

It was almost surreal to think of him as such. It was an amazing contrast against the general knowledge the world had of his kind. Had she met another with dangerous intent, she would have immediately told the Covenant and they would naturally take precautions but this was Edward, and she was just as oddly protective of him as he was to her. It had started the moment he saved her life.

"What are you thinking?" he asked softly.

Bella smiled. "Just wondering what you see in me." It was partly true. She didn't particularly have a large self-esteem, but she was confident when she needed to be, and having Caleb and the others helped. But there is some insecurity that inevitably made itself known even as she hid it behind a carefully masked facade of indifference.

"Everything," he answered simply, but it came out as so much more.

"It really bothers you that you can't read my mind?"

"It can be frustrating sometimes." Edward looked at her, eyes his warm with sudden affection. "Especially at first. But that's only because I've grown used to it, like breathing is for you." He paused, thinking. "And then there are moments where I find it liberating."

Bella raised an inquisitive brow. "How so?"

"Like with my family. I know there are just some things they don't want anybody to hear, least of all me, but it's something I can't stop. It's a lot easier to manage in a large crowd. Where everything merges into one big beehive of sound. The fewer the people, the more clear their thoughts become even when I'm not listening for it."

"I can't imagine dealing with that kind of distraction. I have a hard enough time keeping my thoughts straight let alone a room full of people."

Edward smiled. "I do get curious with you. You don't respond as most humans would do had another been in your position."

"Do you… ah… often do this?" she asked nervously.

"No. This would be my first."

"Oh." Bella honestly did not expect that. "That's… good."

The hours passed so quickly that one of them had to break the contented silence. Edward broke first.

"We should head back," he said, the light in the sky slowly descending but he made no move to leave.

"We should." Bella agreed, reluctantly sitting up. "People might start talking."

Edward gave her a lop-sided grin that heightened Bella's already changing emotions for this amazing man before her. Though she had to admit he can be rather infuriating when he wanted to be. The first semester proved that.

"Can I drive you to school tomorrow?" he asked, his tone hopeful.

She frowned at the attention that alone would bring. "That would definitely have people talking."

He stood up and held his hand out to help her do the same. For a vampire, he acted so much like a gentleman. "Then let them talk." When he saw her eyes widen, he backtracked. "Unless that really bothers you."

"No, no. So long as you'll be there, I think I can manage."

"I've noticed you like to keep to yourself as much as my family does."

"I don't normally get close to a lot of people."

The only other person outside the Covenant's circle that Bella associated with was Sarah and Kate. They were Caleb and Pogue's girlfriends. It also helped that Sarah knew about who they were so the fear of discovery wasn't an issue. She also knew that at the rate Pogue and Kate were going with their relationship, she'd end up knowing about their special heritage as well and that would certainly make things so much more easier on all of them.

"Why is that?"

Bella shrugged. "Spencer is the kind of school where students tend to segregate themselves into groups."

They began to make their descent from up the mountain but this time in a slow leisurely pace. They've practically ditched school so there was no point in hurrying.

"Spencer Academy." For some odd reason, Edward found this particular fact fascinating. "That's an elite private school, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"That explains why you're ahead of your classes." Edward searched his memory and recalled that at one point a couple of decades ago, it was one of the schools Carlisle was thinking of enrolling them at. "The first time we talked, I thought you were older than you claimed."

"You mean the first time you interrogated me?"

Edward had the grace to look embarrassed.

Bella chuckled. "My mom always said that I was born thirty-five and that I get more middle-aged every year."

Edward grinned. "I can believe that."

"Anyway, I was content with the people I had around me. We had too much attention as it is. Being in Forks is almost otherworldly, pardon the pun."

Edward chuckled but then his mood changed as he thought over her words. "Too much attention?"

"Oh." Bella felt her heart skip a beat with the unintentional information she had given him, but she didn't want to keep any more secrets from him than she had to. "I come from a very old family. Colonial times. My ancestors from my mother's side migrated to America from Europe during the early 17th century. Even our first colony house still stands, but its kind of decrepit now. I'm sort of amazed the foundation hasn't caved in."

Edward looked intrigued. "I bet your family has a lot of stories to tell."

"I'm sure yours are more… vivid."

Edward's eyes suddenly narrowed and Bella worried he had caught onto something she wasn't quite ready to explain yet. "If you come from an old family, and you went to Spencer, then why on Earth are you driving a beat up old truck that would barely make it to Seattle or even Port Angeles on two tanks of gas? It can't be safe."

At this, Bella's mouth hung open. She shut it quickly and proceeded to slap him on the shoulder, albeit playfully.

"Hey! I like that truck. It's a very good truck," she defended with zeal. "It's no Jaguar but it gets me where I need to be."

"It won't survive long." Edward's eyes suddenly lit up. "You've driven a Jaguar."

"That's neither here nor there."

"What year?"

She waved the question off. "Irrelevant."

"Can you at least tell me what model?"

"I don't speak Car & Driver"

Edward sighed, looking utterly disappointed.

"Of all the things…" She pursed her lips together to keep from finishing that sentence. Vampire or not, what is it with men and their toys… "Leave my truck alone, I'm perfectly happy with it. It works for me just fine, thank you very much."

"You really love that truck."

Bella rolled her eyes. "There's no use of having something and not appreciating its value. Besides, Charlie… I mean my dad got it for me, and, well, that matters."

Edward's eyes turned soft at this newfound knowledge and Bella had no choice but to melt under his gaze.

"You're doing it again."

He blinked. "What?"

She carefully worked her way down the steep slope. "You're dazzling me."

Edward smiled, looking absolutely smug about it too as he remained by her side without any trouble making his way down.

"Totally unfair of you, just so you know," she added.

"Duly noted." Edward took her arm and confidently placed her on his back again. "Do you mind?" he asked, gesturing to the distance they have to cover to get her backpack before heading home.

For the first time since moving to Forks, Bella had something to really look forward to.

"Just don't hit any trees, okay?"

**To be continued…**

I'd like to thank those who took the time to leave comments. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. I wasn't sure if the lack of feedback was due to general disinterest in crossovers or whatnot. I don't see them often but this was an idea that kept bugging me so I ended up writing it myself.

By the way, I wanted to re-emphasize that Bella will get her powers back, just not in the way people may expect. Since The Covenant catered to only male first-born heirs who inherited the gifts, Bella is a bit of an aberration. There's a back-story to her that will be slowly revealed.


	4. Chapter 3

**Title**: Secret Identities

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rated**: T

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything Twilight/Covenant related. I own utterly nothing, which is depressing.

**Author's Notes**: _Music_, you're fantastic. Thanks for pointing out my minor mistakes. I don't have a beta reader so most of my updates are uploaded shortly after a second read through after the initial completion. I don't catch everything so I appreciate you looking out for me. And yes, I did notice the irony. Edward does come off as a walking contradiction to be honest. lol

* * *

"_A heart is a fragile thing. That's why we protect them so vigorously, give them away so rarely, and why it means so much when we do. Some hearts are more fragile than others. Purer somehow. Like crystal in a world of glass, even the way it shatters is beautiful." – Everwood, Season Two_

**Chapter 3**

"Dude, I can't believe you actually went public with the girl." Emmett exclaimed both in awe and with extreme enthusiasm, likely a result in a change of atmosphere to their tedious days in the Cullen home.

Other than Alice, who formed an instantaneous friend with Bella as soon as Edward formally introduced them, the rest of his siblings were reticent about having a human know so much about them.

"Don't be a fool, Emmett. Edward's putting us all in danger if something goes wrong," Rosalie spouted angrily, proving his point.

Earlier this week, as promised, Edward picked Bella up for school. The moment he pulled into the school lot, all eyes were on them. To his own surprise, he found himself happy to have Bella beside him, teasing her at the obvious discomfort she held over being the center of attention.

"Everyone's looking at us," she whispered to his ear.

Edward scanned the crowd. "Not that guy – no wait, he just looked." Having broken the rules already, he made the final gesture that settled any gossip that may come out of this in school. "Since I'm going to hell anyway," he draped one arm over Bella, holding her close. "I might as well do it thoroughly."

That particular day had been interesting. At various points when he wasn't around her, his acute hearing picked up conversations from various students talking and thinking less about schoolwork and more about him and Bella Swan. One particular conversation caught his interest.

It was Jessica Stanley cornering Bella during gym.

"Oh my God. Oh my God. _Oh. My, God_," the girl squealed and Edward cringed, feeling bad for Bella. "Oh my God!" she added again for good measure, and he grew concerned that her I.Q. had suddenly dropped further than it was deemed possible.

"Seriously, Jess. I heard you the first three times."

He chuckled at Bella's response.

"You _need_ to tell me the 411 on you and freakin Edward Cullen. Are you two… like… totally dating?"

"Well—" but Jessica didn't even give Bella the chance to answer, which bothered him tremendously.

"How long have you been keeping this on the D.L.?"

"It wasn't like that."

"Oh come on!" Jessica shot back in apparent disbelief. "What about you conveniently disappearing that day we went to Port Angeles? Don't tell me that wasn't a secret rendezvous you planned all along."

"It was more like a hit and run," Bella replied dryly.

"Huh?"

"I mean it was completely accidental."

"I don't believe it," Jessica huffed skeptically. "The most gorgeous and unavailable guy in school has been eying you since your very first day. Don't think none of us haven't noticed."

"Really?" Bella said, feigning ignorance.

Edward was impressed. Bella sure knew how to dodge questions by giving the most minimal answers and letting Jessica carry the obvious one-sided interrogation with no less than apparent ease. It was moments like these he wished he could hear her mind just to know what she was really thinking.

"So have you two kissed yet?"

Bella's voice grew uncomfortable at this particular question. "I don't think that's…"

"Oh, please tell me. From a scale of 1 to 10, the best being 10." Through Jessica's thoughts, Edward could see the blush on Bella's face and he smiled at his own fantasy of kissing Bella.

He was turning into a complete utter teenage fool.

The novelty that he was dating Bella didn't lessen as the rest of the week ended. People continued to talk as he and Bella learned more about one another. Their likes. Their dislikes.

Before Bella, any conversations he had with humans were mediocre at best or bored disinterest at worst. This time, he enjoyed getting to know someone, especially her.

Edward learned that they shared the same interest in books, ranging from a variety of authors on different subjects. And to his additional surprise, her assorted and tastes in music similar to his own thrilled him.

All those torturous months of watching her discreetly or from afar could not compare to actually being with her in person. The sparkle and intelligence in her eyes when they talked (or argued, especially about European literature) about certain subjects filled his lifeless existence with unprecedented joy. And when she talked about her loving, erratic, hair-brained mother with undisguised warmth and love, it only compounded the strength of his feelings for this remarkable girl.

"Edward, are you even paying attention?" Rosalie snapped at him.

Just like that, his other reality set in. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Of course!" Rosalie snorted. "Doesn't take a mind reader to know your thinking about her."

"Rose, it's his decision," Emmett refereed but it only earned him a glare from his wife. His brother slowly backed away, surrendering. "I'm gonna go and do something productive." Emmett gave his wife a quick kiss and threw him an apologetic glance.

"I'm inviting her over this afternoon. As a favor for me, Rosalie, please don't make a scene."

Rosalie stared at him blankly before answering. "You sure as hell better be right about her."

Naturally, his family went against his wishes and prepared Bella Italian food. Rosalie threw a little fit but calmed considerably when Jasper and Alice arrived. He introduced her to his mother, Esme, who was glowing, her thoughts filled with nothing but happiness that her son had found someone, even if that someone was a human.

After that day, they were almost inseparable, especially after he revealed his nightly visits. Edward half-expected her to be angry but she seemed amused, especially now that she knew he didn't sleep.

It was also that night that they first kissed, and it was electric.

Dangerous.

The absolute best and most torturous kiss he'd ever had with, well, anyone. He remembered it all too well.

"I've been wanting to try something," Edward said softly. He felt more than a bit nervous. "You have to stay really still."

"Okay." Bella nodded, intrigued and equally just as nervous as he was.

Edward leaned forward very slowly, and when thought she was going to move, he reminded her again. "Don't move."

She stayed silent until his lips finally made contact with hers. It was chaste at first and the jolt of electricity the first time they ever touched replayed itself. He pressed his lips against hers even further, testing the limits of his control as she broke rule and moved against him, her hands snaking its way up my torso and along his neck.

They were kissing now, more fervently that his mind went into an intoxicated haze of desire. He pulled her closer and the force of their lips grew heated and he almost lost the power to fight for control.

Before Edward knew he, he pushed her back on the bed, their lips staying in contact until finally it registered how far they have gotten.

He shot himself backwards, landing against the wall on the otherside of the room.

"I'm sorry," she apologized suddenly. Her hair disheveled but otherwise completely unharmed.

"I can never lose control with you," he said catching the breath he didn't need.

"I wish I could say the same."

That night had been another turning point in their relationship that secured her place in his heart. Edward Cullen wasn't just in love with Isabella Swan; she became his life from that moment on.

* * *

It was only natural that after a month of dating, Edward invited Bella to join his family on a special outing.

To her continued surprise, the outing turned out to be a game of baseball.

Likely being the first human to witness a baseball game played by vampires, Bella couldn't help but acknowledge how utterly fun it was to watch. Throughout the game, she was enthralled how uniquely special this family really were.

The whole Cullen clan was into game, from taking bat, to sliding on toward the base and right down to the outfits. Which, to be frank, had to be classically antique.

Alice had to be responsible for that.

If Edward watching her sleep was anywhere near fascinating as it was watching vampires play ball, it was no wonder why he does it so often. Granted, watching her sleep is probably less exciting but damn…

BOOM!

"Now that one has to be a home run." Bella squinted her eyes to spot the ball Rosalie slammed flew away so fast it was fruitless to even try to find it.

It was then that the atmosphere had changed dramatically. The Nomadic vampires responsible for the two deaths near Forks appeared out of nowhere, and Bella was inadvertently caught in the middle when the vampire James, a dangerous tracker, caught her scent. The Cullen's immediately sprang to her protection but it was too late.

Before Bella knew it, she was forced to leave her father without a word as Edward, Rosalie and Emmett made plans to lead James off track. Bella ended up with Alice and Jasper as they drove her out of town.

Leaving without Edward only made the separation harder.

The drive across the Pacific Coast Highway was quick but wrought with tension. All Bella could think about was Charlie's safety and the way she carelessly left him without so much as a note. On top of that, she worried for Edward and his family. They were putting their own lives at risk to help her and it didn't seem right to put all the weight on their shoulders.

Making a decision, Bella pulled out her cell and activated the text feature and contacted the closest person she knew in the west coast area that could protect Charlie if the James or Victoria decided to use him as bait against her. She couldn't take any chances, not when so many people's lives she cared about were at stake.

_Pogue. Go to Forks. Look after my dad. I'll explain soon. - B_

They stopped at a Hotel in Phoenix, a city she hadn't seen since she was nine years old. Bella and her mother had stayed in the area for six months before moving back to Massachusetts.

In their luxurious room, Alice suddenly stilled. "He knows he's been led astray," she described her vision out loud. Edward had explained that Alice could see the future, but because it wasn't always set, they were subjective because people can always change their minds.

Jasper took her hand. "What else do you see, Alice?"

"A room full of mirrors… with an archway…"

Alice's description pulled a memory from Bella's past. "You mean a ballet studio?"

"Yeah." Alice and Jasper looked up at her in surprise. "You know it?"

"My mom enrolled me into one when we stayed here briefly, but that was years ago. I remember that there was definitely an archway with a hall of mirrors."

"Is it nearby?" Jasper asked.

"I think so."

Jasper and Alice began changing plans when Bella's cell rang. On the screen, it showed her mother's name.

"Mom?"

"Isabella Swan. That's a pretty name," said a taunting voice on the other line. Bella's spine shivered.

"Who is this? Where's my mother?"

"Oh, she's right here. Alive for now. I'm fairly lucky, aren't I? I was just hanging around in that small pathetic town waiting for your sweet old pa to come home, and then a taxi pulled over, and guess who stepped out for a surprise visit?"

There was only one-way Renee's name popped on her cell, and if James had her phone, he was telling the truth and that meant… Oh no.

"I swear, if you hurt her—"

James cut her off mercilessly with his verbal games. "Shhhhh… don't attract attention sweetheart, remember I have dear mommy with me and I know you don't want anything to happen to her. It's a shame really, her scent isn't as strong as yours but if you don't play by my rules, I'm going to drain her dry. Would you like that, Isabella?"

Bella gulped. "What do you want?"

"Meet me at your old ballet studio. Alone. I'll know if you bring anyone, and if you do, I'll skip dinner and just snap mommy's neck right off." The phone went dead and Bella's mind swerved at impossible directions.

Minutes later, by some miracle, she managed to evade Jasper and Alice at the hotel kiosk as she got into a taxi. Never had she wanted her powers back more than she did at this moment.

As the taxi pulled over at her old Ballet studio, it occurred to Bella that she never gave much thought into dying. But dying in the place of someone she loved seemed like a way to go. She couldn't even regret the decisions she was about to make, knowing that it was also what led her to Edward.

The front door to the studio was unlocked when she opened the door. It was dark inside; the only light came from the light of the lampposts outside.

Bella heard a sound. A thumping sound like someone was trying to kick something off. She followed it to the end of the room. She stood in front of a large closet door where she heard muffled sounds and immediately, she knew what it was.

She opened it, and the eyes of her mother stared back at her in fear.

"Mom!" Bella rushed immediately to her side and pulled the tape that covered her mouth off her in one painful sweep. "Mom, are you okay?"

"Bella, get out of here!" Renee spoke frantically.

"I'm not leaving you!"

"You don't know what he is."

"I know exactly what he is, mom. I'm getting you out of here!"

"Oh, isn't this nice," a dangerously low voice said from behind. Bella spun around and put herself between her mother and the vampire intent on killing her for his own perverse amusement.

"She isn't a part of this, let her go."

"There's a rule, you see. In our small privileged world." He stepped closer to her, his cold deadly fingers encircling her neck. "Keep the secret," he whispered. "You see, apparently your mommy dearest here caught on quick, and you, my dear Isabella, are just too good of a prey to kill too quickly."

"Leave my daughter alone!" Renee threw herself at James but he was fast, and he knocked her out without even trying.

"MOM!" Bella screamed, watching horribly as her mother slumped unconsciously on the floor beyond her reach. "You son of a bitch!" She took her pepper spray and emptied it out on him and ran towards her mother.

James hissed and leaped across the room, cutting her off. He took her by the collar and threw her towards a pillar. Bella bled from the head wound but remained conscious as James continued to taunt her about her precious Edward. "Very nice. Very visually dynamic. I chose my stage well, I regret not having a camera with me. The look on Edward's face as you suffered in my hands would have been icing on the cake. It's too bad he didn't have the strength to change you though." He smelled the tantalizing blood on her hand. "Instead he kept you this fragile little human, it's cruel really."

James took hold of her ankle and squeezed, breaking it and Bella screamed in agony. "When Edward finds your lifeless body instead, he'll avenge you, and that's going to make for an exciting game for me."

"No," she rasped painfully.

"I'm really going to enjoy this." James grasped Bella's blood soaked arm and bit into the pulse point of her wrist and again, Bella screamed.

Edward appeared suddenly and pushed James off as the impact threw James clear across the room. He took Bella into his arms immediately as she vaguely heard him say, "I'm sorry" before leaping into the air. But James got to him before they reached safety and pulled them down.

Bella rolled on the ground, shattering a mirror, a large piece embedded itself in her thigh. Weakly, she pulled it out but the burning sensation on her wrist began to magnify in its painful intensity. She barely registered the fight that occurred around her when Alice appeared in her line of sight.

"Oh my God, Bella." Alice shook from the scent of Bella's blood and she called for Carlisle.

"My… my mom…" Bella could barely utter the words. "Edward."

Carlisle was suddenly by their side. "Alice, go see that her mother's all right. Edward, I need you!"

"Mrs. Dwyer," Alice said and Renee opened her eyes. Instead of fear, her focus immediately turned to that of her daughter lying prone on the ground.

"Bella, no!" Ignoring Alice, Renee crawled on all fours, avoiding the searing pain in her head until she reached her child. "Get away from her!"

"No, we're here to help her," Alice said, holding her back.

"My name is Carlisle Cullen, I'm a doctor," he said. "Bella's lost a lot of blood."

Bella convulsed in pain. "My hand is burning!"

"Oh no," Renee held her child's face. "Look at me, baby." Bella tried to focus on her mother but the pain was becoming too much.

Edward knelt down beside them and stared helplessly at the woman he loves. "It's the venom."

Renee's eyes snapped towards his fallen features.

"Get it out of her!"

Carlisle and Edward stared at her in shock. Before either could process what they just heard, he turned to his son. "It's possible but you have to make a choice to prevent the change from happening."

Edward shook his head. "No, no…"

"It's going to happen Edward, I've seen it," Alice said. Renee spun to stare at the young looking girl.

"It doesn't have to be that way."

"She's still hemorrhaging," Carlisle said. "Alice, I need your belt to make a tourniquet."

"There has to be another option, Carlisle." Bella yelled for Edward to make it stop. "Carlisle!"

"There isn't one!" Renee interrupted angrily. Edward looked into the eyes of the woman that gave Bella life and was torn. "She'll only have minutes left, if you can get it out of her, do it now. She doesn't have much time."

"You don't understand, I might not be able to stop"

"Then here's what you don't understand, if she becomes one of you now, she'll die in a few months time anyway."

Carlisle now looked at her confused. "What?"

"Please!" Renee pleaded, tears filling her eyes. "If you care at all about her, do it! This is my child. Please!"

Edward took Bella's wrist and spoke to her softly. "I'm gonna make it go away Bella. I'll do everything I can to make you safe again." Then his mouth touched her wounded flesh.

* * *

Later that night, while Bella remained unconscious in a private recovery room in St. Mary's Hospital, Carlisle approached Renee and offered her a cup of coffee. Edward sat on one side of the bed, refusing to leave Bella's side while Renee sat silently on the other.

"You're daughter's going to be fine," Carlisle spoke to her.

"The venom's completely gone?"

Curiosity littered Carlisle's eyes. "Yes, but I'm afraid the scar can't be removed." Renee sighed in relief. "I think there's a lot we need to talk about."

Renee nodded, too exhausted to keep pretenses. "Is there another room we could use for privacy?"

"Yes, of course. If you don't mind, some of my children will be with me."

"No, I don't mind." Renee stood up, still hesitant to leave her daughter behind.

"Edward will watch over her."

"He'll need to hear this too."

"He will," Carlisle assured. He eyed his son whose attention never wavered from Bella's sleeping form.

Carlisle led Renee just a few rooms down the hall into a conference room. She walked in and saw the two tall men that killed the man that tried to kill her and Bella and the small pixie-like girl standing in wait. Once Carlisle closed the door, they waited patiently for one of them to start.

"You're all different from the one that kidnapped me and brutalized my daughter," Renee observed, her pragmatic approach of the situation was eerily similar to the way Bella accepted the Cullen's otherworldly nature. "I've noticed your eyes are gold instead of red, is there a significance?"

"For a while I almost believed you already knew those answers," Carlisle stated matter-of-factly. "The creature you came across feeds off humans, my family's diet comes from the blood of animals."

"I see." Renee left it at that.

"You said Bella would die in a few months even if she was changed into one of us," Alice's soft musical voice added. "What did you mean by that?"

"I'm guessing you're the seer."

Alice reluctantly nodded.

"How much do you know about Bella?"

Alice began to spout a laundry list of facts and quirks about Bella that made Renee smile.

"Yes, that does describe my daughter. But what do you know about her family history?"

"Edward mentioned that she came from an old colonial family back East."

"Yes, well, it goes a lot farther than that." Renee crossed her arms and stared aimlessly out the window. "What I'm about to reveal doesn't leave this room, do you understand that?"

"Knowing what you already know about us, Mrs. Dwyer, I speak for everyone when I say that whatever you reveal will be in total confidence. Bella is in no danger from us and neither are you."

Renee took a deep breath. "Bella is special." A weak smile appeared on her lips. "She's the first of our kind to inherit the gift."

"What kind of gift?" Emmett spoke for the first time.

Renee continued to stare out into the window. "The gift of magic." There was a notable gasp in the room and only Carlisle was able to keep his composure. "There were six families who escaped to America when the witch hunt began in Europe. Five survived. During the era of the Salem Trials, the families that carried what we call 'The Power' swore a covenant of silence to protect ourselves from persecution. It kept us safe for the past three hundred years."

"What made Bella different?" Carlisle asked with genuine curiosity.

Renee pinched the bridge of her nose before turning to face the doctor. "The Power is inherited only by the first born male in each family. Bella is the first female born with the gift. There's no precedence or explanation as to how it happened and what caused the deviation."

"But we've never seen her use magic," Alice said, looking entirely confused. Jasper reached out to hold her hand in support. "I mean, ever. We would've noticed."

"Yes, well, there is an explanation for that. There was an incident prior to moving to Forks that forced the Families to bind her powers from being used. I thought it was a foolish decision but Bella didn't care, she rarely really used it herself unless it was absolutely necessary. To my daughter, it was no big loss." She stopped to take another deep breath before continuing. "All the men with the gift get a taste of their power when they reach thirteen. It's like a test. We never imagined that Bella would inherit it but she did, and it scared the shit load of us, please excuse the offensive language."

Emmett shrugged. "None taken."

Carlisle spoke. "So you were surprised when Bella started doing magic when she became a teenager?"

"No." Renee shook her head. "It's far more complex than that. The first time she displayed any magical abilities, she was only five."

"Whoa. That young?" Emmett said, shocked.

"I was living with Charlie in Forks thinking I was free to live our lives because we had a daughter instead of a son, but the moment my precious little girl willed an object towards her, I knew any semblance of a normal human life for Bella was gone. So I took her away and brought her to the one place I knew she had a chance of fitting in."

"But she's human?"

"Yes, completely. But please understand, she's also magical. It's in her. A part of her. It can be subdued but it can't be taken away. Her development as she grew was unpredictable to us. We don't even know if her ascension occurs the same way as the males do."

"What's an ascension?" Jasper piped in.

"Once they turn eighteen and at the exact time of their birth, the ones with the gift ascends. It's when their powers reach full maturity. The reason why I feared for Bella's life when the venom was inside her was because she likely wouldn't survive the ascension if she were a vampire."

Carlisle was beyond astonished. "How do you know this?"

"Because it's happened before," Renee replied emotionally. "There are consequences to their gifts. The magic is _incredibly_ seductive. There was an ancient record once of a gifted boy who sought immortality by becoming a vampire, but this happened before he ascended. Once the change was complete, by the time he reached eighteen, his ascension ripped his body apart and burned him from the inside out."

The room became silent at this newfound knowledge. Several quiet minutes passed before Alice broke it with a coming vision.

"Bella's waking up."

**To be continued…**

**It won't be long till the boy's arrive. You'll find that one will already be waiting back in Forks. There's a reason why I had Pogue in UCLA back in the Prologue. **


	5. Chapter 4

**Title**: Secret Identities

**Author**: Nadia Mack

**Rated**: T

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything Twilight/Covenant related. I own utterly nothing, which is depressing.

**Author's Notes**: _PrincessSpaz_ discovered my Achilles' weakness… the cruel tenses. I'll do my best not to waver but I make no promises, it really is a thorn in my side. I also want to apologize to those that felt Chapter 2 was rushed. I wanted to get beyond what we already know about the characters, but at the same time, I didn't just want to go from Point A to Point Z without any sort of transition.

From here on out, I get to really play out my fanfic and I hope you guys enjoy the ride. This is really the part of the story that got me interested in writing this but like all things, it needed a build up. Thank you again for your feedback, constructive and all.

* * *

_**Previously on…**_

"_What's an ascension?" Jasper piped in._

"_Once they turn eighteen and at the exact time of their birth, the ones with the gift ascends. It's when their powers reach full maturity. The reason why I feared for Bella's life when the venom was inside her was because she likely wouldn't survive the ascension if she were a vampire."_

_Carlisle was beyond astonished. "How do you know this?"_

"_Because it's happened before," Renee replied emotionally. "There are consequences to their gifts. The magic is incredibly seductive. There was ancient record once of a gifted boy who sought immortality by becoming a vampire, but this happened before he ascended. Once the change was complete, by the time he reached eighteen, his ascension ripped his body apart and burned him from the inside out."_

_The room became silent at this newfound knowledge. Several quiet minutes passed before Alice broke it with a coming vision. _

"_Bella's waking up."_

**Chapter 4**

The seconds passed slowly for Bella when she finally had the courage to open her eyes. She felt tired, numb and extremely uncomfortable. She shivered heavily against the sudden feeling of coldness surrounding her but it was immediately put to rest when the warmth of another layer of soft bed sheets enveloped her body.

Her head turned, and she forced her eyes to focus on the distorted image sitting beside her.

The familiar soft topaz eyes that greeted her once her vision cleared sent a profound feeling of calm inside her.

"Edward," she whispered.

"Bella," he responded, relieved. "Everything's okay. You're in a hospital."

She tried desperately to shift her body but her troubles were met only with resounding pain and she flinched visibly.

"Be careful, you're still medicated," he said, his cold marble hand cupped her face gently.

"What happened?" she asked tiredly. "What happened to James?"

"You don't have to worry about him anymore," he answered quietly. "We took care of him. He'll never harm you again."

She knew the tone in his voice. He felt guilty for her condition, but she would have none of it. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault, but she understood that it was futile. His self-afflicting torment over her situation weighed heavily on his shoulders due to what he described was his selfishness to be with her.

"It's all right," she told him. "I'm here."

"I almost lost you, Bella."

"But you didn't." Her mouth felt dry, and she thirsted for any kind of liquid too clear her throat. "I'm still here." She searched for his hand and he moved to give it to her, squeezing lightly when another image in her mind appeared and her voice cracked with worry. "My mom… where's my mother? Is she okay?"

"I'm here, baby." Her mother, Renee, walked into the room and rushed her way by her side and she relaxed.

"I'm so sorry," she said to her, stifling the tears that threatened to make itself known. "I didn't mean to get you involved."

"Shhh…" Renee soothed, becoming the maternal mother she rarely displayed. "No one here is to blame, Bella." Her mother's arms went around her neck to hold her close as tears descended form her eyes. "You're alive," her mother's voice whispered next to her ear. "That's all that matters to me."

"Are you hurt?"

Her mother shook her head. "Not anymore. Dr. Cullen took really good care of us. It was only a concussion and the bruising on my face will disappear in no time." Renee turned to Edward and gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you for watching after her."

"It was my pleasure," he responded with absolute sincerity.

"What about dad? We left so suddenly, he must be—"

"I called him a few hours ago and explained that I made a surprise visit," Renee assured. "We drove out of state to visit some friends in the area when you tripped and fell down a flight of stairs at our hotel. He's worried, but that's the story we're going to stick with."

"Hmm," she responded incredulously. "Sounds like me." Edward caught her eying the cup of water on a nearby table and automatically went to give it to her. She drank it greedily, sighing when she was finished.

Her mother smiled in spite of the circumstances. "It's the story we're going to have to commit to until we can get you back to Forks."

"It won't be a problem. Alice had a little too much fun fabricating evidence," Edward chimed in with a small smile on his lips. "I'll give you two some privacy." But Bella didn't want him to leave and she loved her mother even more when she stopped him.

"That's okay, Edward." Renee placed her hand on his shoulder to lead him back down on the chair. "We have more than enough time to catch up. I know there's a lot of things you and Bella need to talk about."

The implication wasn't lost on Bella and she understood immediately what that meant. For years she kept everything inside. James words reverberated through her mind relentlessly. _"Keep the secret."_ She'd kept it from Edward—not because she didn't trust him, but because it was instilled in her since childhood.

She wanted to wait for the perfect moment, naively believing that it existed. It turned out, like all things in life, that it was easier said than done.

"You know, don't you?" she asked him once her mother left the room.

Edward nodded looking uncertain how she wanted this to proceed. "Your mother gave my family the general idea of where you really come from and what you're capable of." His voice held a certain level of awe, as if the knowledge of it was still processing.

She gulped. "Ask me anything."

Edward nodded, keeping his proximity close to her but he looked hesitant. The uncomfortable moment passed when he finally felt confident to ask what's been plaguing his mind. "Why didn't you tell me before, after you found out about what I am?"

"I'm not quite sure," she replied truthfully. "I've lived my whole life keeping that side of me controlled that sometimes I could even pretend it doesn't exist. And when I couldn't even use it when I needed it the most, it started to become something like a dream. Like it happened in another life."

"But it's a part of you."

"Yes." She sighed. "I can feel it strongly even now. Waiting just inside of me, except I can't touch it."

He leaned forward, his fingers gently rubbing the wrapped bandage that covered the wound James savagely left her. "Bella, why did they bind it?" She knew he wasn't referring to her dressing.

She tilted her head to the side and reached out with her finger to put below his chin. She slowly raised his face so she could see his face. When his golden eyes finally met her brown ones, "She told you about that, huh?"

Edward bit his lip, an out-of-character trait she found endearing. "Only bits and pieces. I think she thought it best if you explained."

She smiled weakly. "We rarely expose our abilities out in the open, but it's not entirely forbidden. We just need to be discreet about it." She closed her eyes and thought back to the incident. "I had to make a choice though. There were innocent children involved and I couldn't stand by and let them die without helping. Our Families worried that the authorities might look too closely so they did what they thought was for my best interest."

Edward nodded. "You're amazing." He didn't press any further for information, but he deserved it. Most of all, she wanted him to know.

"Presumably, once I turn eighteen this year, my ascension will break the bindings that's keeping my abilities from being used. It's too powerful to be contained."

He raised an eyebrow. "Presumably?"

"I'm a first-timer, Edward. A female born with the gift. There's no manual for it. Nothing about my evolution so far coincided with the others. For all we know, I may not even ascend at all."

"But you're not sure?"

"No."

"Your mother mentioned consequences, but she didn't explain what they were, only that it was…" He paused. "Seductive."

"Yeah," she said sensitively. "The downside of a being a witch." The look on Edward's face would have amused her had this conversation taken a different path in another time, but instead, she shook her head to clear her thoughts to explain the biggest test that any member with the gift had to endure. "It's like comparing it to human blood for vampires." Edward visibly tensed but she intertwined her fingers along his own and held it tight hoping he'd understand the analogy once she was finished. "The allure to taste it is… strong. It works kind of the same way with our powers. When we ascend and our abilities are fully released, that _allure_ magnifies. The more we use, the more addictive it becomes. We lose our sense of independence, relying on the powers to do everything for us."

It was obvious that he was having a difficult time comprehending what that really meant. "How exactly does that work against you?"

"For an outsider, it seems so cut and dry but for us, we put our very lives at stake whenever we use it." Edward looked obviously confused and she knew she had to drive the point home, no matter how painful it was to reveal. "Edward, if I become dependent on my abilities, it'll end my life far sooner than the average human lifespan. We may be magical, but we're not indestructible."

"What do you mean?"

Edward knew what she meant, but he seemed to be having a hard time accepting the facts given to him.

"My grand father didn't have the self control, he was barely forty years old when he died but you wouldn't know it if you saw him. He looked closer to ninety."

Edward shot out of his seat and turned away. Her heart broke seeing the carefully built walls of control around him fall apart one by one. She wanted to cry but she knew she also had to be strong for him.

"When Alice saw you becoming one of us," he spoke finally after a lengthy silence, "I felt torn between happiness and disgust at my own selfishness. When you were on that floor with James' venom burning inside you, I wanted you to change and at the same time I didn't." He turned to her, and the look of utter sadness and shame on his face forced her tears to finally fall. "I love you, Bella." He took her face and gave her one long desperate kiss on her lips.

"I love you, too."

"It doesn't seem fair," he whispered, their foreheads resting against one another and their lips coming apart only inches from each other. "You're damned if your changed and you're damned if you stay human."

"I'm not even thinking about that right now."

"How can you not?" he asked incredulously.

She brushed his messy hair lovingly with her fingers. "Because you're here with me and you tend to have this annoying yet convenient effect of distracting me." She kissed him again and they remained that way for a long moment until three of Edward's siblings appeared through the doorway.

"We're sorry to interrupt," Jasper entered apologetically but otherwise remained by the door.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jase, of course we're not sorry," Emmett said, striding his way over to her bedside and giving her a pat on the head.

"Boys, behave." Alice's musical voice said sternly but her face turned soft then excited when she saw her and Edward intertwined together.

Bella blushed.

Emmett sat down beside her, his eyes twinkling. "So Bells… do you like… fly on brooms and do spells in crock pots?"

Her blush quickly disappeared and she rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't know. Flew a SUV off a cliff once though, that was interesting."

Emmett's eyes widen with childlike excitement. "Ascend!" he wished fervently standing up and stomping his foot, his behavior mimicking that of an actual five year old. "Ascend right now!"

Edward reached over her bed and smacked Emmett across the head while Alice giggled leaving her content to watch them interact. The Cullen siblings never failed to amuse her even in the most heavy of emotional situations.

"So you guys aren't too upset that I didn't tell you sooner?"

"Nah!" Emmett waved off nonchalantly.

"Well, we were definitely surprised," Alice said with a warm smile. "But we understand."

"Hey!" Emmett looked like a sudden epiphany occurred to him. "Is that why little brother here can't read your mind?"

Edward looked to her for confirmation but she could only shake her head. "Not really. When you meet the others, it's more than likely that you'll have no problem reading their minds." Edward looked almost deflated at the news. "One of the elders believes it's because I have a very private mind, but I never really understood what that meant."

"So they can read minds, too?" Jasper asked.

"Not the way Edward can. We actually have to cast a spell to do that."

Emmett's eyes lit up again. "That is so cool!"

"Not really," she said. "Spell casting is probably the least favorite thing that we're subjected to learn."

"Bella?"

She turned her attention to Alice who looked decisively worried.

"What's wrong Alice?"

"When you said about meeting other's like you… I can't see that specific future coming to pass so I don't know how they would react to seeing a group of vampires."

"They won't harm us," Carlisle said, interrupting their Q&A.

Bella smiled merrily at this, silently thanking Carlisle for putting Alice's concerned thoughts to rest. Her mother wasn't far behind.

"He's right," Renee confirmed easily. "I haven't spoken to them yet but the Covenant's no threat to you, especially after you've looked after my daughter very diligently this past several months. They'll have questions, of course, but your ties to Bella have inadvertently tied you to the rest of us. We don't just protect our families, we protect our allies as well."

"But why can't I see how this future plays out?" Alice whined.

"I honestly don't know," her mother answered. "The knowledge of 'The Power' is only handed down through their gifted descendants. I only know a portion of what Bella has learned over the years and even then, they still have a lot to learn."

"Oh." Alice sighed dejectedly.

"Hey, it's okay." Bella assured her friend. "We'll figure it out."

Alice beamed quickly at the thought.

* * *

_Forks, Washington_

Pogue leaned forward silently, staring mindlessly at the canned soda Charlie Swan had given him since he arrived at his front doorstep. Glancing up, he noted that Charlie was watching him, his eyes puffy from lack of sleep. Turning back down to the table, he thought about the cryptic message he received from Bella while he was in L.A. and hoped she would call soon.

"Do you think I should go down to Phoenix and see if Bella is okay for sure?" Charlie asked him.

Pogue started at this, knowing full well he was just as worried for his daughter as Charlie was. Bella's mother, Renee, was with Bella right now and that diminished his fears somewhat but he couldn't help but feel like something more was happening that he didn't know about.

"If Aunt Renee is with her, Bella's fine."

"If Renee hadn't just taken Bella on a joy ride across several state lines she would still be here at home, safe and sound," Charlie said looking visibly upset, slumping himself down on the chair opposite the small kitchen table. "I'm sorry I'm not the best host right now, Pogue. I don't normally act this way."

Pogue smiled. "You remind me more of Bella than Aunt Renee does, actually."

Charlie looked at him with obvious surprise. "You think?"

"Yeah. Bella likes to keep to herself, but she isn't like a hermit or anything. But she prefers the company of people she knows than making the effort of mingling with others."

Charlie chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds like me all right."

"I'm sure they'll be on their way back soon." At least he hoped so. He couldn't leave Charlie behind to see for himself. Every once in a while, he'd get the feeling that they were being watched. But every time he turned to see if he was right, nothing out of the ordinary was there.

It didn't matter though, until Bella tells him otherwise, he wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

Edward sat quietly watching Bella sleep. He thought about the last couple of hours heavily. For months he agonized over his future with Bella, refusing to let his sister's vision come to pass without a fight. As much as he wanted to have her for all eternity, he couldn't, in good conscience, take her life from her.

Now everything's changed.

Bella was a witch.

Apparently, she was a very powerful one.

He smirked at the thought and wondered how he could ever have believed that she was anything less than fragile.

Edward continued to watch her in amazement, and thanked whatever higher power was out there for bringing her to him.

"Edward?"

He turned to find Alice behind him. "Let me watch over her for a while. You've been with her for hours."

"I've been with her for longer periods than this."

"I know," she said. "But it's not fair to the rest of us that you get to spend more time with her and besides, you're not alone. Jasper and Emmett are just outside. Carlisle is helping the hospital out with a couple of patients while he's here and Bella's mom is by herself. I think she needs the company, and I got a vision of you two talking."

"Oh." He blinked, seeing Alice's vision in her mind. "All right."

Other than Bella's father, who didn't much talk to him more than what was necessary, he found himself at a loss as to what to say to Bella's mother. In more ways than one, it would be the second time he would have a conversation with another human without the pretense of secrecy underlining the interaction.

Finally, he realized what he was feeling.

He was nervous.

Sighing, he got up and laid a soft kiss on Bella's forehead before slowly stepping out. He was partially content in knowing that Bella was attended to.

It wasn't long until he caught Mrs. Dwyer's thoughts, her mind centered on Bella as a baby. Images of his love as a child filled his thoughts and it occurred to him that in some ways, he was finally getting a glimpse into Bella's private memories.

When he reached the empty cafeteria, he saw Bella's mother sitting alone. "Mrs. Dwyer?" he spoke to her softly.

Renee looked up and smiled. "Edward. Hi. I never thought you'd leave my daughter's side."

His eyes fell away from her, embarrassed.

Renee chuckled. "Don't worry, I find it very romantic. Bella chose well." She gestured to an empty seat. "Would you like to join me?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all."

He sat down, unsure of the protocol. Personally, this was unfamiliar territory for him.

"I'd offer you coffee but…" she let the sentence trail to a stop.

"It doesn't bother you. What I am." He meant it as a question, but it came out as anything but.

"When Bella was a little girl, she was always a little more serious than other children her age. As she grew older, she was picky about who she dated, and none of them lasted more than a date or two." Edward felt remarkably smug about this particular revelation but steeled his face to pretend otherwise. "It almost seems natural that she'd fall in love with someone completely different."

If he were human, he could almost swear his face would be red right about now.

"You look terrified." She pointed out, stifling a laugh. "Don't worry, Edward. I'm not here to give you a lecture. My daughter's mature enough for the both of us to make her own decisions."

"So you approve?" he asked carefully.

She tilted her head to the side, an action that reminded him of Bella. "Do you need my approval?"

"I…" his mouth gaped open. "Yes, I guess I do."

She smiled. "Then you have it."

Edward let out a deep breath, one weight lifting from his shoulders. Speaking to Renee felt almost cathartic; a large juxtaposition compared to being around Chief Swan who always seemed content to fill the void with uncomfortable silence. Chief Swan's thoughts centering on fishing or finding ways to hurt him if he ever hurt Bella didn't help invite conversation easily.

"Was it difficult to raise her?"

"Only at first," she said. "There was just so much that we didn't know. The Families prided themselves on knowledge and tradition. When I told them about Bella, they didn't even believe me. It was just impossible."

"But she proved them wrong."

Renee laughed and in her mind he could see the memory bubbling to the surface. It was of Bella at the tender age of five levitating several pieces of antique porcelain pottery in the air.

He couldn't help his reaction to the memory. He chuckled.

"You saw my memory, Dr. Cullen told me a little about your gift."

"I'm sorry for intruding, but it's something I don't have an on and off button for."

"That's okay," she assured, not the least bit offended. "It's not the kind of memories I could put into a family album or on video, and it's kind of nice to be able to share it with someone that means a lot to Bella."

"Did it ever bother you, that the women in your family couldn't inherit?" he wondered curiously out loud.

"It crosses my mind sometimes, but for the most part, I think we have it pretty easy compared to them. It's incredibly hard, especially after they become eighteen. From the very moment they get a taste of it, the consequences if it's abused are practically drilled into them. There's a lot of pressure, for a parent especially. No father or mother should ever have to outlive their child."

Edward thought about this carefully and he worded his next sentence gently. "You have to know that if Bella and I… well… we wouldn't be able to have… uh… children."

Renee looked at him sadly. A small yet significant fact that made him wholly depressed. "I'm sorry, that has to be hard on you and your family."

"I never thought about it until I met Bella. It's harder for my mother and sisters. Esme and Rosalie, especially."

"Esme, that's Dr. Cullen's wife right?"

"Yes. She lost a child once, before she was changed."

"That's horrible."

"But she makes it work with us, and even though I'm technically older than she is, I think of her as my mother."

Renee smiled. "She sounds like a wonderful woman."

He nodded. "She is."

Renee glanced at her watch and sighed. "I should call Charlie and give him an update. He's been worried sick over Bella. You should go back to her, I have a feeling you're not used to being away from my daughter."

He smiled shyly, but he enjoyed speaking with Bella's mother. She was unlike what he expected.

Like mother like daughter.

"Thank you for letting me keep you company, Mrs. Dwyer."

"You're welcome, Edward. And please, call me Renee. I feel much too old as it is."

**To be continued…**

**Well, there you have it. The beginnings of The Covenant and Olympic Coven alliance. Tell me what you think. I'll be taking a small break from this story to focus on Forever Days. I hope my tense problems aren't so glaringly obvious this time but I apologize in advance if it is. I should really take classes on brushing that up. **


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